BizBahrain April 2016

If you ask Ahmed AlQaed, Founder
and Managing Director of the
Ahmed AlQaed Group and doyen of
the real estate development industry
in Bahrain, what makes him tick, he
doesn’t pause, “It’s the passion for
what we do. I am personally involved
at every stage of the developments
we work on and for me, it is complete
dedication, commitment and love for
each of my projects.”
In an animated interview with
bizbahrain, Ahmed AlQaed talks
to Group Editor, Reena Abraham.
Summarizing his philosophy, he says,
“This is my policy - when people are
not working, I work. When people are
not buying, I buy. We always did our
best and we never stopped working.
It was the right decision because the
market always comes back and you
don’t want to be out of it.”
AQG today is one of the most active
integrated real estate developers in
Bahrain, having lined up to their credit
an impressive roster of commercial,
residential, retail, hospitality and
mixed-use properties. As much as for
design, concept and class, it is perhaps
this passion and a certain tenacity
that most define them. AQG is well
known in Bahrain for its resilience and
uncanny ability to ride every storm and
emerge unruffled.
The policy apparently paid off
because AQG has never been out of
work. If you look at a map of Bahrain,
you will find dotted all over the city
properties that bear the company’s
brand imprint - Al Fatteh Towers, Zain
Tower, Viva Tower and many more.
During its history of thirty-five years,
AQG has a proven track record of large,
complex projects always delivered on
schedule and without compromise on
quality. Today with his two sons, Yusuf
and Abdulrahman, an integral part of
the business, the Al Qaed family is all
set to step into new territories and take
on a new direction.
AQG was in the news when they
signed up as one of the earliest
partners of the prestigious Bahrain
Bay Development. It was a challenging
period in the region, but Ahmed AlQaed
was astute, seeing the potential and
the tremendous value of the project to
Bahrain.
“We were looking for a good
location to start a new project. We had
made a decision that now it is time
to be more socially and ecologically
responsible, to do a project that is
good not only for us but for Bahrain
as a whole. We diverted our focus
from projects that would satisfy only
our own objectives, to something that
we can do for Bahrain. It was time to
give back to our country. I considered
Bahrain Bay as a fertile land, where we
can grow and develop things. I thought,
this is the right platform for us.”
“That, I think, was the driving
concept behind the project throughout
the design phases. At every step, we
reminded ourselves that we are not
building for ourselves anymore, but
for Bahrain now. That responsibility
made it a completely different project
because now it had to not only be
unique to Bahrain but should also
compete with other countries to show
what Bahrain can be. Bahrain Bay was
the perfect location we thought, that
had the potential to achieve this.”
Uniquely designed as a twirling
structure, the magnificent Offices
@ the Wyndham Grand rising 50
floors is a landmark at Bahrain Bay.
The twisting counter clockwise
arrangement undoubtedly required
flawless and careful execution that
took more than a year. The Offices
@ the Wyndham Grand houses the
Kingdom’s only Wyndham Grand over
14 floors of the mixed use development,
that combines five star hospitality
with modern corporate office space.
The Wyndham Grand Collection is
a fast growing chain of hotels that
represent one-of-a-kind experiences
in key destinations with refined
accommodation, attentive service and
relaxed surroundings.
The Offices @ the Wyndham
Grand enjoys the strategic location of
Bahrain Bay, making it an ideal spot for
businesses and leisure seekers. Just a
short drive from the airport, it is close
to the business district and important
sites such as the World Trade Centre,
the upcoming Avenues Mall, Bahrain
Financial Harbour, Four Seasons,
Baycity, Waterbay, Arcapita, and Al
Baraka within Bahrain Bay.
The age of a project
is forever - you
see, the market
changes, the
economy changes,
but a building
stays forever.
“As a location when compared to
other locations, I consider Bahrain
Bay the central or main jewel. It is so
well planned, so beautiful that without
being able to help it, all eyes will be on
it. The age of a project is forever – you
see, the market changes, the economy
changes, but a building stays forever.
We were one of the first people to
purchase land at Bahrain bay, and one
of the few who delivered -we stayed,
we continued and we finished the
May 2016
15